Chapter 124: Purpose and Fear

**Chapter 124: Purpose and Fear**

As the first rays of morning sunlight struggled to pierce the veil of night, casting their glow over Golden Harbor, a hellish scene unfolded.

The air was thick with the stench of smoke, blood, and charred wood, a toxic miasma enveloping the city.

Gone was the usual clamor, replaced by sporadic screams, the groans of the dying, and the crackling of flames devouring timber.

The streets, once vibrant, lay in ruin.

Ornate shopfronts were torn apart, precious goods looted, leaving only shattered pottery and toppled shelves.

The muddy ground was littered with discarded weapons, bloodstained clothes, and grisly severed limbs.

Several abandoned war boar corpses sprawled in the road’s center, their fur singed, reeking of decay.

Occasionally, survivors crawled from the rubble, their eyes vacant, faces pale, wandering like walking corpses in futile search for kin or belongings.

Jie Ming stood on the porch of “Dawn Manor,” a gentle breeze ruffling his immaculate robe.

After a night of slaughter, his breathing remained steady, his body untouched by even a speck of dust.

Before the villa, hundreds of orc and human soldier corpses were neatly stacked into a small hill, their dried blood a dark brown under the morning light.

The mound of bodies radiated the chill of death, silently proclaiming the safety of this area.

Looking at the three orc commanders, bound tightly like dumplings and still struggling, Jie Ming nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad, not bad. I didn’t expect such surprises. My efforts weren’t in vain.”

To maximize stealth and ensure success, the orcs had sent a small but elite force, led by three second-tier commanders.

Though Golden Harbor had five resident “legendary” figures, their strength varied greatly.

These three orc commanders, strong even among second-tier beings, could easily overpower two of the city’s novice legendary figures each.

“Who… are you… and what’s your purpose?!” a broken voice growled in orcish.

Looking down, Jie Ming saw one orc commander, cheek torn, forcing words from the side of its mouth.

The commander’s heart was gripped by terror, unable to fathom this man’s motives.

If he were the city’s hidden guardian, their invasion shouldn’t have gone so smoothly, even allowing the three of them to kill Golden Harbor’s five legendaries.

But if he had no ties, why intervene at the last moment? And with such terrifying strength!

The commander, known for caution despite its near-peak mortal strength, had rallied allies upon sensing trouble.

With their combined power and a shaman’s blessing, they could face even an angel for a few moves.

Yet against this man, they were powerless. His life essence didn’t even seem to surpass “legendary,” so why…

A sudden realization hit, and the commander’s pupils shrank, its torn cheek slurring its words. “Wiz…ard, you’re a wizard…”

“Oh? Such remarkable vitality. I knew it already, but it never ceases to amaze me. You guessed right, but sadly, no one will hear,” Jie Ming said, looking down with a faint smile.

With a kick for each, he sent the three commanders into the manor.

His reason was simple: prolong the war between orcs and humans, draining both sides while stoking their hatred.

Capturing test subjects was just a bonus.

He had no need to explain this to his specimens.

The manor was shielded by a sixth-tier isolation array he’d purchased. Given the wizard system’s uniqueness, even the gods of this world couldn’t detect anything amiss inside, unless they specifically investigated.

Now, only the orc leadership and the five dead human legendaries knew the true strength of this raid.

Let both sides fight and figure it out!

In the distance, noble castles and manors smoldered, some teetering in faint flames, though most seemed only startled, not fully breached.

As Jie Ming calmly cleaned the bloodstains around the villa, cautious figures emerged from the noble district’s alleys.

They were Golden Harbor’s most prominent nobles, clad in disheveled robes and expensive furs, their faces etched with the fear and exhaustion of survivors.

Their soldiers cleared the way, weapons in hand, each step wary.

Last night, they’d teetered on the brink of death, but the orcs, as if receiving some signal, had gradually withdrawn from their area, easing the pressure enough for them to survive until morning.

“Look! It’s Baron Garcia’s villa!” a trembling steward pointed toward Jie Ming. “There… there’s no fire!”

As they cautiously approached “Dawn Manor,” they froze, gasping in shock.

Instead of a looted ruin, they saw a mountain of corpses and, beside it, the silent, statue-like figure of “Jack.”

“This… this is impossible!” a white-haired earl whispered, legs trembling.

Hiding in airtight cellars last night, they’d heard the earth-shaking cries and screams, certain their families’ end had come.

They knew the orc vanguard’s ferocity, the city guard’s collapse, and the invaders’ strength.

Yet the scene before them showed this young man had single-handedly repelled so many attackers!

“Lord Jack!” the portly baron reacted first.

Ignoring noble decorum, he rushed forward, dropping to his knees with a thud, his fat frame quivering. “Thank you for your mercy! Thank you for your… unmatched valor! Without you, we’d all be ashes!”

The other nobles snapped to attention, kneeling or bowing deeply, their postures utterly submissive.

After last night, they were truly terrified.

For the first time, they grasped the true meaning of “power.”

“My lord, you are Golden Harbor’s guardian deity! My family will serve you for generations!”

“By the gods! Your strength is like a war god descended to the mortal realm!”

Flattering words poured forth like they cost nothing, these once-haughty nobles now groveling like humble servants.

They didn’t even dare meet Jie Ming’s eyes, fearing to enrage this “demon-like” powerhouse.

Jie Ming watched them calmly, expressionless.

“No need for formalities. You’d better start cleaning up,” he said coolly, his voice soft but commanding, silencing their flattery and inspiring awe.

Their brief elation and gratitude quickly faded, replaced by deeper fear and despair.

These nobles were no fools.

They soon snapped out of the “temporary safety” Jie Ming provided, realizing a greater crisis loomed.

“Everyone, though we’re safe for now… it’s only temporary,” the earl said, pale and trembling, breaking the brief silence. “Last night’s attack was just the vanguard—a signal the orcs have torn up the peace agreement!”

“Exactly!” a viscount chimed in shakily. “The orcs struck without warning! Golden Harbor’s defenses are in shambles! We’ve lost the city guard, the command center… this city can’t hold!”

Panic spread among the nobles, their eyes exchanging despair.

“We must leave!”

“To the capital! Only the capital can withstand the orc army!”

“But… from here to the capital, even by fast horse, it’s a seven-day ride! The wilderness is rife with magical beasts, and with the orcs breaking the treaty, they’ve likely set ambushes on the road!”

“Our private soldiers…” The baron glanced at his trembling guards, despair written on his face. “They couldn’t even handle last night’s attack. How can they escort us through a battlefield?”

The noble group descended into unprecedented chaos and anxiety.

Watching their wealth and lives hang by a thread, their powerlessness nearly broke them.

“Quick! Pack everything! Take all we can carry! Hurry!”

“Carriages! Prepare more carriages!”

“Gems! Stuff them in boxes! Forget the bulky gold and silver!”

In an instant, the area outside “Dawn Manor” buzzed like a disturbed hornet’s nest as nobles scattered to their homes.

They ordered servants to cram valuable jewels, rare magical materials, ancient books, scrolls, and even family heirloom artworks into sturdy chests, loading them onto lavish carriages.

Servants, frantic and dust-covered, moved hurriedly.

Noble etiquette vanished; silk gowns were muddied, costly furs hastily bundled, and meticulously styled hair turned disheveled.

The air filled with anxious shouts, the clatter of objects, and the nervous whinnies of horses.

Jie Ming watched it all, a faint smirk curling his lips.

He knew these nobles would soon return to him of their own accord.